Your Daily Phil: N.Y. federation reflects on past year’s efforts in Israel, what’s to come
Good Monday morning.
In today’s edition of Your Daily Phil, we report on American-Israeli basketball player Jared Armstrong’s camps that also look to combat bigotry. We feature an opinion piece byJon Hornstein about what a halachic loophole for loans can teach us about working with other communities, and another by Yotam Polizer reflecting on IsraAid’s work in Israel over the past year. Also in this newsletter: Michael Schlank and Will Eastman, Whitney Fisch, and Yossi Klein Halevi. We’ll start with an interview with representatives from UJA-Federation of New York’s Israel office.
As one of the largest Jewish philanthropic institutions in North America, UJA-Federation of New York has played a key role in American Jewry’s support for Israelis since the Oct. 7 terror attacks last year, contributing more than a quarter of the total sum donated to the Jewish Federations of North America’s Israel Emergency Fund — roughly $215 million out of some $855 million.
As the war against Hamas in Gaza grinds on and a ground war against Hezbollah in Lebanon ramps up, eJewishPhilanthropy’s Judith Sudilovsky spoke recently with Itzik Shmuli, the director general of UJA-Federation of New York’s Israel office, and Yael Israel-Cohen, director of planning and strategy of the charity’s Israel office, about their continued efforts: how the organization is continuing and expanding its collaboration with local nonprofits and municipalities, the role that it plays in filling the gaps left by the government, as well as a recent mission from New York on the one-year anniversary of the attack earlier this month.
The interview has been edited for clarity.
JS: Are there any specific projects or initiatives that UJA-Fed NY will prioritize for funding this coming year?
IS: While UJA has supported northern communities, organizations and municipalities since the beginning of the war, and has recently approved two emergency packages for the area, the north needs to get more attention from the philanthropic community. In our meetings with residents from Manara, the mayor of Majdal Shams, and during our security briefings, it became evident that the north requires more resources in the short and long term…
We give direct support to communities that are located up to 3.5 kilometers [2.2 miles] from the border and were evacuated… We also are supporting “trapped communities,” those communities that are located outside the 3.5 kilometers cut-off, meaning outside the evacuation zone, and therefore not receiving government support… but these residents are living in a war zone with lives that have been completely disrupted. Places like Safed, Katzrin, Rosh Pina, Hurfeish and many others have become the new frontline, and they are receiving almost no support from the government.
JS: What were the primary objectives of the recent UJA mission to Israel?
IS: The emergency is not over. More than a year after Oct. 7, the country is still in a state of emergency, with the background of the war in the north, the ongoing fighting in Gaza and the Iranian threat, this is something which is unlikely to change in the near future. This is something that Israel and Jewish philanthropy have never faced before and that can be described as a “state of chronic emergency.”
YIC: I think an additional goal for having them come was for them to see the impact that their dollars are making. Ultimately, this is all made possible because they provided the funds needed in order for UJA to make a difference. So making sure they see the impact of their dollars in the field is extremely important.
One Nova survivor came up to them at the memorial ceremony and told them: ‘If it had not been for your help [for support therapy] I would not have been able to be here today.’ Hearing directly about the impact their donations made was very emotional. The entire mission was very emotional. You can’t come to Israel at this time and not be impacted.
LOVE & BASKETBALL
Israeli hoops star Jared Armstrong teaches kids to ‘unlearn’ hate with basketball camps
For the second year in a row, American-Israeli professional basketball player Jared Armstrong has organized basketball camps for children from Philadelphia to teach not only skills on the court but also about combating antisemitism and racism. But this summer, Armstrong said the camp took on added significance, coming after the Oct. 7 attacks in Israel and rising antisemitism around the world. “There’s a lot of ignorance in this world, a lot of prejudice. I continue to say, ‘You have more similarities than differences to the person to your right and to the left of you. You just have more or less melanin in your skin,’” Armstrong, told Jay Deitcher for eJewishPhilanthropy.
Hits close to home: The Oct. 7 terror attacks showed Armstrong, 28, how important his camps were. At the time he was living in Ashkelon, 10 miles from Gaza. A rocket landed 100 feet from his apartment. “I watched in disbelief as parts of the world celebrated and cheered for the murder and kidnapping of innocent people, torn from their loved ones,” he wrote on Instagram last month. Shortly after the attacks, Armstrong began holding free monthly clinics in Ashkelon to support kids whose school was still not in session and who had family members fighting in the war.“We saw basketball as a way to bring them together,” he said, “to get them out the house and take their mind off things.”
Power of sport: Armstrong has a lot of supporters. This year, JAB camp has provided programming to over 500 kids in partnership with Lids Foundation, Five-Star Basketball, Reebok and many individual donors. Someday, hopefully the war between Israel and Hamas will end, Armstrong said, and when it does, people will need to find ways to bring communities together, including through sport. “Everybody needs everybody for this world to work.”
NOT A DEAL, A PARTNERSHIP
Shared investments for shared outcomes
“Building relationships or ‘bridges’ with other communities — through education, dialogue and cultural experiences — has long been a strategy to address hatred toward Jews, not only for the benefit of the Jewish community but for the good of all communities and our country. But over the past year, as antisemitism has skyrocketed, and as Jews have at times felt lonely and misunderstood by partners who do not hold their identity, many have wondered whether our efforts to build these bridges are working — and what it takes to create stronger, more effective ones,” writes Jon Hornstein, a program director at The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, in an opinion piece for eJewishPhilanthropy.
Taking a page from halacha: “I recently found some inspiration for how we might do all of this in one of the most unlikely of places: Jewish law regarding loan finances. Many of us are familiar with the following commandment from the Torah: ‘You shall not deduct interest from loans to your fellow Israelites.’ In layman’s terms: Jews are not supposed to charge each other interest… [So] it is common practice to sign a ‘heter iska’ — translated literally as a business permit — which transforms a loan into an investment partnership.”
Red lines: “While bridge-building efforts aim to create partnerships, we must also acknowledge the rare instances when this is not possible. The Torah refers to the prohibition against charging interest by saying “if you lend money,” not “when.” In other words, one is not required to give a loan, nor should one be required to enter, or stay in, a partnership if the above guidelines are not met.”
CHARITY STARTS…
Lessons from a year of crisis at home
“A year ago, like so many other Israelis, I sat glued to the news watching as the unimaginable unfolded. By the end of the day, over 1,000 Israelis were killed, over 200 were taken hostage, thousands were injured and hundreds of thousands had been evacuated from their homes. The next morning, IsraAid, the international humanitarian aid organization that I lead, launched its first full-scale response at home,” writes Yotam Polizer, global CEO of IsraAid, in an opinion piece for eJewishPhilanthropy.
To the end: “Emergencies continue far beyond the initial shock, and recovery is a long process. At the beginning of any crisis, there is what I, somewhat cynically, refer to as the ‘aid circus.’ There is an outpouring of aid and well-meaning volunteers, who after several weeks subside to a trickle and then disappear… A year later, just like we promised, we’re still accompanying some 10 kibbutzim and moshavim that were attacked on Oct. 7.”
Case by case: “Each kibbutz, moshav, and community have their own unique needs and capacities. Our job was never to dictate, but to offer our expertise as a supplement. To ask the right questions, really listen to the answers, and be ready to ask again and adapt as the situation changes. No two communities are the same. That openness and flexibility has allowed us to serve communities from all over Israel — from kibbutzim in the Gaza border region, to communities under bombardment across northern Israel, and the Bedouin communities in the south that lack shelter.”
Post-traumatic growth: “If we can remain committed and let the communities lead us, every emergency offers the opportunity to bounce forward. Post-traumatic growth is possible, and every challenge has within it an opportunity to not only heal but to build back better. We have a long way to go, but it’s something we will continue to work for. I have held on to this belief through every disaster and emergency I have witnessed. And I must believe in it now too.”
Worthy Reads
Teach Your Children Well: In The Jerusalem Post, Michael Schlank and Will Eastman of NJY Camps argue for the need to invest in young Jewish leaders. “Trauma has a way of throwing us out of kilter because it upends the world as we know it. Often the response to trauma is to attempt to return life to what it was like before the traumatic event took place. It is also an attempt to regain agency. While there is no doubt there are tremendous needs that face the organized Jewish community today, it is our duty and ability to continue to look forward to dreaming of a brighter Jewish future, and to take steps today to secure this reality… Imagine if this could be the turning point? That we look back 25 years from now and saw that this was the moment where global Jewry reversed the tidal trends… To get there, we need a significant investment in sustainable Jewish communal infrastructure. We have watched grassroots organizations in Israel and across the Diaspora spring up overnight to meet Israel’s war needs. We also have seen the traditional legacy ecosystem activate its donor base and capacity… Now we should turn to young Jews… Let us create Jewish leaders who are not only literate in our own tradition but also fluent in the history and culture of those with whom we have a shared destiny.” [JerusalemPost]
Word on the Street
Despite a year of political division among many Jews following Oct. 7, over 20 Jewish groups in Brooklyn came together to celebrate Simchat Torah Across Brooklyn at Grand Army Plaza, resuming a tradition of unity at the annual event…
New research from the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy finds that a two-decade decline in Americans’ charitable giving accelerated during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, despite an increase in the average amount donated by individuals…
Whitney Fisch has been tapped as BaMidbar’s next CEO. Fische comes to BaMidbar, which works with Jewish young people struggling with mental health issues, from Hillel at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, where she served as the executive director for the past four years…
The New Yorker’s Isaac Chotiner interviews Israeli author Yossi Klein Halevi about national sentiment in Israel over both the government and the country’s future in the wake of the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attacks…
Police are investigating the circumstances in which a Jewish man in Chicago was shot on his way to synagogue on Saturday morning; following the attack, the assailant engaged in a shootout with police and was taken to a hospital in critical condition…
In a New York Times opinion piece, outgoing Ford Foundation President Darren Walker argues that prevalent American culture “actively discourages the courage” needed for effective leadership, ultimately undermining the effectiveness of leaders and threatening democratic values…
The trade publication Shelf Awareness refused to run an ad promoting Israel Alone, the recently published book by French writer Bernard-Henri Lévy, over concerns that the book title’s mention of Israel may upset some of the publication’s readers…
According to the Israeli nonprofit The Partners of Fallen IDF Soldiers, which provides unmarried partners of fallen Israeli soldiers with emotional support and tools for rehabilitation, who are generally not eligible for the state benefits offered to spouses, 317 new bereaved partners have joined the community in the past year alone — compared to the some 500 cases it addressed over the entire 25 years since its establishment in 1998…
The Staunton Farm Foundation in Pittsburgh has awarded 19 grants totaling $1.2 million across southwestern Pennsylvania in support of nonprofit efforts to expand access to mental health and substance use disorder programming. Chabad House on Campus, JCC of Greater Pittsburgh and the Jewish Family & Community Services’ UpStreet program are among the recipients…
The Atlanta Jewish Times spotlights the portmanteau trend of “voluntourism” to Israel, visiting the country to help out in agriculture and other areas following Oct. 7 through organizations such as Leket Israel and Birthright Israel…
Tony Award-winning actress Ali Stroker, the first actor to appear on Broadway in a wheelchair, will be a featured guest at Wednesday’s Los Angeles gala of the American Friends of Beit Issie Shapiro, which supports the Israeli nonprofit that provides therapy and services for children and adults with disabilities…
The Dianne and J. David Rosenberg Innovation Fund has pledged $10 million to the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra for its innovation initiatives that aim to develop artistic and educational experiences to engage today’s audiences and students…
The New York Times reports on Dr. Miriam Adelson’s efforts to get other billionaires to fund her super PAC in support of former President Donald Trump…
WhatsApp co-founder Jan Koum donated $5 million in Meta stock to MAGA Inc, a super PAC backing former President Donald Trump…
Jewish activist Shabbos Kestenbaum backed out of former President Donald Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally on Sunday after conservative commentator Tucker Carlson, who recently hosted a Holocaust denier on his show, was given a speaking slot…
A new report from UCLA’s Task Force to Combat Antisemitism and Anti-Israeli Bias asserts that the pro-Palestinian movement on campus incited a significant increase in abuse directed at Jewish and Israeli students, faculty and staff. Released last Tuesday, the 93-page report details instances of assaults and threats against Jews on campus…
Orlando, Fla., neurosurgeon Dr. John Jenkins has pledged a $50,000 matching grant for donations to Moshav Ein Habesor, located near the Gaza border, through the Christian charity City Serve, Israel, to help alleviate the trauma experienced by children from the Oct. 7 Hamas attack and the ongoing conflict…
Cookie Addison, a prominent Jewish leader and philanthropist from Los Gatos, Calif., died last week. Alongside her late husband Arnie, who died in 2013, she made a founding donation to establish the Addison-Penzak Jewish Community Center, where she also served as president of the board of directors…
Grateful Dead founding bassist Phil Lesh, who was not Jewish but hosted a variety of events to celebrate Jewish holidays and events at his Terrapin Crossroads music venue, died at 84…
Cleveland Jewish community leader, businessman and noted philanthropist Melvin Waxman died at 90 on Oct. 24. He was a founder of the Cleveland Chabad community and of the Waxman Chabad Center, and former president of the Hebrew Academy of Cleveland…
Pic of the Day
Thousands of people participate in “hakafot shniyot” at the Western Wall last Thursday night, which the Western Wall Heritage Foundation said were held this year in honor of Israeli soldiers, the hostages being held in Gaza, those displaced by the war, those injured in the fighting and “Israel’s peace and security.”
The practice of hakafot shniyot, in which people again dance with Torah scrolls the night after Simchat Torah, originated in Tel Aviv in 1942, when Rabbi Yitzchak Yedidya Frankel had his congregation celebrate the holiday on behalf of the Jews of Europe who were being murdered and oppressed during the Holocaust.
Birthdays
Actress and investor, she is an owner of the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks, Jami Gertz…
Redondo Beach resident, Larry Berlin… Rabbi of the Moscow Choral Synagogue, Adolf Shayevich… Spiritual leader of the Village of New Square (Rockland County, N.Y.) and Hasidic Rebbe of Skverer Hasidism worldwide, Rabbi Dovid Twersky… Retired actor best known for his role as NYPD Det. Andy Sipowicz in “NYPD Blue,” Dennis Franz… Former member of the Knesset for the Yisrael Beiteinu party, she also served as minister of aliyah and integration, Sofa Landver… Anthropology professor at NYU, she won a 1994 MacArthur genius fellowship, Faye Ginsburg… Rabbi at Temple Beth Sholom in Hamden, Conn., Benjamin Edidin Scolnic, Ph.D…. Co-founder of Microsoft, Bill Gates… Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author, he is a 2012 MacArthur genius fellow, David Louis Finkel… Four-star admiral in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps and assistant secretary for health, Rachel Leland Levine… Former member of the Knesset for Likud, he then served as mayor of Beit She’an, Jackie Levy… Manager of MLB’s San Francisco Giants, he has been named Manager of the Year three times, Bob Melvin… Executive director of the Jewish Federation of the Bluegrass in Lexington, Ky., until earlier this year, now on Kentucky’s Antisemitism Task Force, Mindy Haas… Owner of a Chick-fil-A franchise in the Houston area, he was a collegiate and an NFL football coach, Tony Levine… Film and television director, producer, screenwriter and actor, Jacob “Jake” Kasdan… Academy Award and Grammy Award winning actor, Joaquin Rafael Phoenix… Israeli singer in the Mizrahi style, Yaakov (Kobi) Peretz… Member of the California State Assembly (D-16), Rebecca Bauer-Kahan… Member of the Knesset for the Likud party until 2019, Oren Hazan… Scottsdale, Ariz., attorney, he was a Republican member of the Arizona House of Representatives, Adam Kwasman… President at Apex Healthcare Properties, Elliot Schwab… Senior manager at Point32Health, Avital Warburg Goldstein…
